8 Steps How To: Galaxy Print Nails

As a lover of all things space (I'm looking at you, Firefly!) I've loved the galaxy trend which has been going strong for quite a while now. I'm sure you may have heard of the fabulous brand Black Milk who create all sorts of wonderful clothing with a particularly amazing range of leggings. They've recently launched a Mass Effect collection, which is my absolute favourite game series of all time. It's so rare to see a game be used in actually fashionable clothing so I jumped at a pair of 'By The Goddess leggings' featuring the Mass Effect race I found the most interesting; the Asari.

With my new leggings in hand, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to don some of my favourite nail art; galaxy print. So I thought I'd share with you how I do my space themed nails.



1. Start with a good clear base coat, followed by a covering of black. I've used a plain, shiny black but I also think a metallic could work (perhaps even a magnetic black!)



2. Add a layer of fine glitter varnish, preferably in purple or blue. I've used this glitter by Nicole which has tiny flecks of both deep purple and blue, perfect for the dark corners of space!



3. You'll need a sponge for the next few steps. Any cheap sponge will do, as you are unlikely to be able to salvage it after covering it in nail polish! I just use a new dishwashers sponge cut up into smaller squares (roughly 3cm x 3cm). I find cosmetic sponges are too fine for this space print as you want something with a bit of texture. Paint a small amount of opaque white polish on the sponge and dab a bit on each nail.



4. Using a pale green and pale blue, dab around the edges of your white with your sponge, leaving a slither of white left in the centre. Don't worry if you start getting some paint on your cuticles, we'll come to that later!



5. For this step, having a selection of bluey-purple shades gradually blend out from the pale blue and green using the sponge. Start with a rich purple and work your way through to a deep blue. Once you're done, add a little more black polish to the very edges. You should now have a nice range of different deep space shades.



6. Finally add a small amount of glitter, preferably a fine silver glitter with some larger flecks of silver, purple and blue. Add sparingly as too much glitter can cheapen the relatively realistic looking galaxy background. Finish off with a top coat.



7. You may now have loads of extra polish around your cuticles. This is definitely not part of the look ;) my advice for tidying this up is to use Mavala's Oil Seal Dryer which I've reviewed here - this is a product that not only dries your nails incredibly quickly but also works as a cuticle oil, which softens the excess polish around your nails making it much easier to remove. Even if you don't have this product, just use a cotton bud (or 5) soaked in some nail varnish remover and carefully clean around your nail.


So there you have it, awesome space nails :)




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